Refrigerating device



March l, 1932. M P, WETMQRE 1,847,321

REFRIGERATING DEVICE Original Filed Oct'. 15l 1925 ATTORNEY Patented" Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EINER P. WETMOBE, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T COPEMAN LABORATORIES COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN Application led October 15, 1925, Serial No. 62,512. Renewed April` 10, 1928.

container of liquid carbon dioxide and in- `serted in the ice compartment of any ordinary refrigerator and therein function llke the ordinary block of ice.

The best form of apparatus embodying my invention at present known to me, and the best method of operating the same are illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings i`n which: y

Fig. 1 is an end -v1ew of the refrigerating unit.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with said unit installed therein.

Fig'. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal section on line 3---3V of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on line 4 4. of Fig. 3 and Fig..5 is a perspective view of a convenient form of pan for holding liquids to be frozen into ice in said refrigerating unit.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters refer to lile parts. l isa block of concrete preferably made of a mixture of about one part hydraulic cement with ten parts clean cinders so as to render said block moderately porous in structure. In other 'y words, block 1 is articial stone cast or molded from a plastic ymixture. 2 is any convenient form of refrigerator with the` door of the ice compartment 3 shown open and block 1 located therein. 4 is a commercial container of liquid carbon dioxide provided with the usual regulating outlet valve 8 connected to the pipe or copper tubing 7.which extends into the refrigerator and connects with the block 1 in a manner hereinafter described.

The block 1 is molded with certain coils of the pipe 7 embedded therein and with the one end when said end is not closed by door` 13. The pipe 7 is coiled around this second cavity 6 in a spiral 12 and then extends around the first cavity 5 in coil 11. K

10is any convenient form of an for holding water. or other liquid to be ozen, which pan is preferably divided up into compartments as shown 1n Fig. 5 so as to form a series of cubes of ice and is of ashape and size to be inserted in the cavity 6 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 14 is a case or any convenient form of lining for the cavity 6 which` may, however, be dispensed with. Cavity 5 is originallyformed with one end open,

said end being afterwards closed by plug or cover of cement 5a. Door 13 may be omitted and pan 10 may have a handle 10a as shown in Fig. 5. e

In the operation of my invention, the valve 8 is open suiiiciently to permit a small stream of li uid carbon dioxide or the highly condense va or therefrom to pass into or through pipe. This carbon dioxide ex- 1ty 6 to a point considerably below the freezing point of water. The partly expanded gas then passes on to coil 11 where it further expands and finally condenses in the form of snow in the cavit `5 or in the pores of the bloc-li 1 into whic it passes *in the effort to escape tothe atmosphere. The deposition of the snow in the cavity 5 and in the pores of the blockl eventually checks the further outflow of gas and 'valve 8 can then be closed olf. The result of the above operation is` to produce in the ice chamber 3 of the refrigerator a block ofmaterial at or below the temperature of ice, said material being of moderate heat" conducting capacity and moderate specific heat.' Thiswill cool thel interior of the refrigerator for a long time. As the temperature of the block 1 rises, the evaporation of carbon dioxide snow in cavity 5 and in the pores of block 1 increases andabsorbs more heat and thereby continues the cooling action of the block l. When the.

snow has all been evaporated and the block 1 raised to a temperature abovejthat desired- 4in the refrigerator, the valve `8 is reopened and the above described operation repeated. While I prefer to nake the concrete of ten f parts cinders to one of cement, the propor-v 49 cavity a mass of material capable of Vaporiztion of cinders may be decreased if de sired. Generally, however, as large a proportlon as possible of cinders is used, as they mcrease Vthe porosity of the mass and thereby extend 'ber of the porous block the refrigerant is placed. In a simplified construction, the block 1 need have only one chamber into which the dry ice or CO2 snow is introduced. I-Iaving described my invention, I claim: 1. As a new article of manufacture, a refrigerating unit which comprises a block ofV moderately porous material of moderate heat conducting capacity having a closed cavity therein and means for depositing in saidy cavity a mass of material capable of Vaporizing at room temperatures. y.

2. As a new article of manufacture, 'a refrigerating unit which comprises a block of moderately porous material of moderate heat conducting capacity having a closed cavity therein and means for depositing in said cavlty a mass of material capable of Vaporizing at room temperatures, said means com-` prising a container of liquid carbon dioxide and a pipe connecting said container with said cavity.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a refrigerating unit which comprises a'block of moderately porous material of moderate heat conducting capacity havinga closed cavity therein and means for depositing in said lng at room temperatures, said means comprlsing a container'of liquid carbon dioxide and a pipe connecting said container with said cavity, a considerable portion of which pipe is embedded'in said block but has an open end located in said cavity.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a ref-rigerat'mg unit which comprises a block of moderately porous material of moderate heat conducting capacity having a closed cavity therein, a second cavity, open at one end, and a pipe for conducting a liquid capable of rapidly evaporating at room temperature embedded in said block, coiled around said second cavity and terminating at its open end in said first cavity.

5. A structure such as defined in claim 4 combined with a pan for holding liquids, which pan is adapted to fit in said second cavity.

6. A structure such as defined in claim 4 combined with a pan for holding liquids, which pan is adapted to fit in said second cavity,and a door adapted to close the Aopen cnd of said second cavity.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a refrigerating unit which comprises a block of porous concrete having a closed cavity therein, and a tube molded into said concrete and opening into said cavity.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a refrigerating unit which comprises a block of porous concrete composed of one part hydraulic cement and ten parts cinders, and having a closed cavity therein, and a tube molded into said concrete and opening into said cavity.

9. A refrigerating unit comprising a heatabsorbing and heat-retaining container adapted to hold a supply of solidified carbon dioxide and pervious to the escape of carbon dioxide gas.

i 10. A refrigerating unit comprising a heatabsorbing and heat-retaining body having a chamber for holding a supply ofsolidified carbon dioxide, said body having a wall pervious to the escape of carbon dioxide gas.

' 11. A refrigerating unit comprising a block of porous cement, and a tube extending into said block and adapted to be connected with a source of solidified gaseous refrigerant which gradually passes through the material of said block amid lowering of temperature.

12. A refrigerating unit comprising a block of heat-absorbing and heat-retaining material pervious to the passage of a gaseous, refrigerant, and a tube extending into said block and connected with a source of solidi- 4fied gaseous refrigerant, whereby the refrigerant gas enters said block through said tube and gradually passes through the block into the surrounding lspace amid lowering of temperature.

f 13. A refrigerating unit comprising a block of porous cement, means for introducing carbon dioxide as into said block which permits diffusion o the gas through its pores and thereby becomes a cold mass at or below the temperature of ice, the refrigerating gas finally escaping into the surrounding space.

14. A refrigerating unit comprising a block of heatabsorbing and heat-retaining material pervious to theescape of refrigerating gas, a tube extending into said block for -introducing refrigerating gas which diffuses through the block and lowers its temperature, a case in said block, and a removable pan or drawer fitting into said case. 4

l5. A refrigerating unit comprising a block of heat-absorbing and heat-retaining material pervious to the escape of refrigerating gas, a tube extending into said block for introducing refrigerating gas which diffuses through the block and lowers its temperature, a case in said block, and a removl able plan or drawer fitting into said case, said tube aving a portion closely adjacent to said .case to increase the cooling effect of the gas block of porous cement, a tube extending intol said block for introducing carbon dioxide gas which diffuses through the pores of the block and lowers its temperature, case in said block, and aremovable pan or drawer fitting into said case, said tube having a coiled extension surrounding said case to increase the cooling edect of the gas in the freezing chamber formed by the case,

17. ln the art of refrigerating through the agency of solidified carbon dioxide, the improvement which consists in charging. a block of porous cement or like material with carbon dioxide which gradually passes through the porous block and thereby coolsit to a temperature as low as or lower than that of ice. y

18. .A refrigerator unit adapted to freeze cubes of ice and the like, comprising a block of heat-absorbing and heat-retaining ma terial provided with an upper chamber for holding solid CO2, means to allow the escape of gas through a wall of said chamber, a lower chamber in said block, and a drawer for receiving substances to be frozen and adapted to be inserted in said lower chamber.

19. As a new article of manufacture for use p in refrigerating systems employing carbon dioxide, a block of porous cement having means for discharging carbon dioxide gas therein, said block being pervious to-the es- "cape of carbon dioxide gas.

conducting relation to said shar 20. Asa new article of manufacture for p use in refrigerating systems, a cast stone cooling unit provided with a chamber for receiving a charge of solid CO2, means to allow the escape of gas through a wall of said chamber, a sharp freezing chamber also formed in said stone cooling unit, refrigerant conducting conduitsl positioned in heat freezing chamber and surrounding said C 2 chamber and indirect communication with the interior thereof, the walls of the cooling unit adjacent the CO2 chamber and the sharp freezing chamber being sufliciently thick to act as a conductor and retainer of cold.

21. As a new article of manufacture for use in refrigeratin` systems, a cast block of heat absorbing and heat retaining material provided with a chamber for receiving a charge of solid CO2, means to allow the escape of gas through a wall of said chamber, a sharp freezing chamber also formed of said heat absorbing and heat retaining material, refrigerant conducting conduits positioned in heat conducting relation to said sharp freezing chamber, said CO2 chamber, and to said material, the walls of said block adjacent said chambers and said conduits being sufficiently thick to act as a hold-over.

, MINER l?.` WETMORE. 

